Posts Tagged ‘Einosuke Moriyama Monument’

For the past 20 years, there stood a lonely monument of Japan’s very first “Native-Speaking English Teacher”, Ranald MacDonald, along Matsunomori Street of Kaminishiyama-cho in Nagasaki-City. It was erected in 1994 by the Nagasaki-Minami Rotary Club as part of their 30th Anniversary Project under then-President, Dr. Masami Obama.

Ranald MacDonald was captured as an illegal intruder on the shores of Rishiri Island in 1848; however, because of his good attitude and respectful behavior toward the Japanese people and its culture and traditions – unlike other foreign sailors who were washed ashore – he was “merely” placed under house arrest at Daihian.

At that time, the Tokugawa Shogunate was feeling the need for trained interpreters who could be effective in the English language rather than the traditional Dutch-oriented interpreters. The arrival of MacDonald, who had received a good education because of his Scottish father, Archibald MacDonald, was quite timely, and the Shogunate immediately arranged to use him as a temporary teacher of English, primarily for “conversation and pronunciation”.

The Dutch interpreters, 14 of them, commuted to Daihian for the next 7 months for Ranald’s English lessons till Ranald was forced to return to go back home. The leader and best student among the 14 was Einosuke Moriyama.

Several years later, when Commodore M. Perry of the US East Indies Squadron came to Japan to demand the Shogunate to open its door to America, Moriyama acted as a chief interpreter on behalf of the Shogunate. Subsequently, Moriyama worked hard to interpret and negotiate with the British, French, Russians, etc. Much praise of Moriyama’s language and negotiation skills were written in the records of foreign governments.

A monument dedicated to Einosuke Moriyama was (finally) dedicated on September 12, 2014 – it can be found along Matsunomori Street of Kaminishiyama-cho in Nagasaki-City, right next to the MacDonald Monument – and it is quite appropriate that the two monuments of MacDonald and Moriyama were erected side by side. Be quiet and listen! You might hear the exchange of laughter and conversation between the two. I am confident Ranald is no longer lonely there. ~ Mas Yatabe

It was a gathering of FOM members from Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagasaki and even Holland and the U.S.A. “It was fun and enjoyable – just like a class reunion,” per Ms. Yumiko Kawamoto. 記念撮影： 森山栄之助顕彰碑除幕記念晩餐会出席者一同 出席者は北海道、東京、愛知、京都、大阪、長崎、更に海外のオランダ、アメリカ・・・と「和やか、且つ楽しく同窓会みたい！」とは河元由美子女史の弁。

Ranald MacDonald Chronological Records

1811 John Jacob Astor founded Astoria.

1813 The Americans operating the Pacific Fur Company trading post in Astoria, Oregon, turn the post over to the British North West Company, and for the next three decades Britons dominate the fur trade of the Pacific Northwest.

1823 Archibald McDonald, a Hudson's Bay Co. clerk at Ft. George [Ft. Astoria], married Princess Raven, daughter of Chief Comcomly of the Chinook.

1841 Ranald abandoned his apprenticeship to sign on a Mississippi riverboat as a deckhand.

1845 Ranald shipped out of Sag harbor, NY, aboard the whaler Plymouth bound for the Pacific.

1846 The Plymouth arrived at Lahaina, Maui.

1848 March: The Plymouth entered the Sea of Japan.

1848 July: Ranald left the Plymouth in a small boat and landed on Rishiri Island. He was arrested and sent from Rishiri to Nagasaki.

1848 October: Ranald was incarcerated in Nagasaki; he began teaching English to 14 scholars, including Einosuke Moriyama, who later became an interpreter for the Japanese when Com. Perry entered Japan in 1854.

1849 April: Ranald and 13 shipwrecked Americans from the ship Lagoda were rescued by the US Corvette Preble.

1849 Ranald left the Preble at Hong Kong for Australia and Europe.

1853 Ranald returned to Canada.

1861 Ranald engaged in road construction and mining.

1864 Ranald joined the Victoria Island Exploring Expedition.

1882 Ranald took a 153-acre preemption land claim at Ft. Colvile, WA.

1894 Ranald MacDonald died at Toroda, WA.

1923 Ranald's memoir, Ranald MacDonald, The Narrative of His Life, 1824-1894 was published posthumously by the Eastern Washington Historical Society.

1988 “Friends of MacDonald” was organized as a Clatsop County Historical Society Chartered Committee, its purpose to honor Ranald MacDonald, a native Astorian who, in 1848, risked his life on a mission of friendship to forbidden Japanese shores.

1990Ranald MacDonald, The Narrative of His Life, 1824-1894 was reprinted with new forward and afterward by the Oregon Historical Society with support from the Friends of MacDonald through funds generously donated by Epson Portland Inc.

1994 Ranald MacDonald Nagasaki Monument erected along Matsunomori Street of Kaminishiyama-cho in Nagasaki-City by the Nagasaki-Minami Rotary Club as part of their 30th Anniversary Project under then-President, Dr. Masami Obama.

2014 A monument honoring Moriyama Einosuke - Ranald's 'star' English pupil - was erected next to the MacDonald Nagasaki Monument along Matsunomori Street of Kaminishiyama-cho in Nagasaki-City.